Published: July 03, 2006 10:59 pm         

Official: New law protects Hoosiers from identity theft

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter visited Terre Haute on Monday, spreading the word about a new security breach disclosure law.

The law, which took effect Saturday, requires companies to notify Indiana customers if there is a breach in their security system that compromises their personal identification information.

It doesn’t matter where the company is based, if the information at risk belongs to an Indiana citizen, they must be notified.

If the company fails to do so, it could face fines up to $150,000.

“We no longer have to rely on out-of-state laws to protect Indiana consumers,” Carter said, in the Vigo County Annex.

State Representative Jackie Walorski, R-South Bend, wrote House Bill 1101, and the Indiana General Assembly unanimously passed it. The attorney general’s office is in charge of enforcing the law.

Carter said he’s confident that as companies learn about the law, they will follow it not only to appease the government, but to help their customers.

“We are all vulnerable in the age of high technology,” Carter said. “We want to do everything we can to protect citizens.”

Carter acknowledges that while it is a good law, as more technology develops there may be other high tech crimes, and laws will have to evolve.

For more information on identity theft, such as an identity theft victim kit, ways to reduce identity theft risks or to file a complaint, visit www.indianaconsumer.com.

Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812)231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.